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Elizabeth Warren quickly becomes senior Mass. senator

When William "Mo" Cowan is sworn in to take Democrat John Kerry's place in the Senate, it will mark a quirky milestone for the state of Massachusetts. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who was sworn in on Jan. 3, will

When William "Mo" Cowan is sworn in to take Democrat John Kerry's place in the Senate, it will mark a quirky milestone for the state of Massachusetts.

Freshman Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who took her oath of office on Jan. 3, will become the Bay State's senior senator when Kerry leaves to become secretary of State. Her journey from back bencher to senior status will take little more than 10 days by the Senate calendar — practically unheard of in the upper chamber.

Kerry himself noted this detail during his hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee earlier this week. It took Kerry 24 years to become the senior senator of Massachusetts, which fell to him after the death of Edward Kennedy in 2009.

"She will become the senior senator of our state in a record few legislative days," he said. (Legislative days, in Congress-speak, is generally defined as when the House or Senate is in session.)

The Senate doesn't fool around when it comes to seniority. It plays a role in things like deciding committee chairmanships. The senator with the most seniority, who is a member of the president's political party, is the Senate president pro tempore and is third in line in presidential succession.

Warren's rise to the top for Massachusetts, however, pales by comparison to what happened to Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii. Schatz, who was appointed in December to take the place of the late Daniel Inouye, was sworn in to office six legislative days ahead of Democrat Mazie Hirono, who was elected to the Senate in November.